System and method for session provision

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods applicable, for instance, in session provision. A node and/or other computer may, for example, dispatch to one or more servers and/or the like a message including a provided value and a value obtained, for instance, from a storage element. The one or more servers and/or the like may, for example, having performed various registration checks, act to create a token for provision to the node and/or other computer. Messages sent by the node and/or other computer including the token could, for instance, be considered to be associated with a session.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to systems and methods for session provision.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of computers(e.g., portable computers) by various individuals. For example, deliveryworkers sometimes use computers to provide data regarding theirperformance of delivery tasks. As another example, medical workerssometimes use portable computers to provide data regarding theirperformance of patient care tasks.

Accordingly, there may be interest in technologies that, for example,facilitate the use of computers by workers and/or other individuals.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to various embodiments of the present invention there areprovided systems and methods applicable, for instance, in sessionprovision.

A node and/or other computer may, in various embodiments, dispatch toone or more servers and/or the like a message including a provided valueand a value obtained, for instance, from a storage element.

In various embodiments the one or more servers and/or the like might,having performed various registration checks, act to create a token forprovision to the node and/or other computer. Messages sent by the nodeand/or other computer including the token could, in various embodiments,be considered to be associated with a session.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing exemplary steps involved in token provisionaccording to various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing further exemplary steps involved in tokenprovision according to various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing exemplary steps involved in token useaccording to various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary configuration employable in variousembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary table showing various data held in variousembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows an exemplary computer employable in various embodiments ofthe present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a further exemplary computer employable in variousembodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

General Operation

According to various embodiments of the present invention there areprovided systems and methods applicable, for example, in sessionprovision.

As is discussed in greater detail below, according to variousembodiments a node and/or other computer may dispatch to one or moreservers and/or the like a message including a provided value (e.g., arandom number and/or the like) and a value obtained, for instance, froma storage element (e.g., a radio frequency identification (RFID) tagand/or the like).

Upon receipt of the message the one or more servers and/or the like may,in various embodiments, act to determine if the obtained value isregistered (e.g., if the obtained value corresponds to an authorizeduser). Alternately or additionally the one or more servers and/or thelike may, in various embodiments, act to derive an identifiercorresponding to the node and/or other computer that dispatched themessage, and/or to determine if such an identifier was registered (e.g.,if the identifier corresponds to an authorized node and/or othercomputer).

In, for example, the case where the identifier and obtained value areregistered, the one or more servers and/or the like may act to create atoken. The one or more servers and/or the like may, in variousembodiments, act to dispatch the dispatch the token to the node and/orother computer after receipt from the node and/or other computer of amessage containing the provided value.

The node and/or other computer could, in various embodiments, act toinclude the token in messages sent to the one or more servers and/or thelike. The one or more servers and/or the like could, for instance,consider such messages to be associated with a session.

Various aspects of the present invention will now be discussed ingreater detail.

Token Provision

With respect to FIG. 1 it is noted that, according to variousembodiments of the present invention a user's node and/or other computermight act to read one or more values and/or other data (e.g., a uniqueserial number) from a storage element such as, for instance, an RFIDtag, an iButton, a barcode, a magnetic stripe, a smartcard, flashmemory, memory accessible via Bluetooth, memory accessible via WiFi(e.g., IEEE 802.11b and/or IEEE 802.11g), memory accessible via UltraWide Band (UWB) and/or the like (step 101). Such UWB might, forinstance, employ IEEE 802.15a, IEEE 802.15.3, and/or the like. Such astorage element might, for example, be provided to the user by a companyand/or the like associated with the user (e.g., a company of which theuser was an employee). The user might, in various embodiments, act toplace such a storage element in communication with an appropriatereader, interface, and/or the like.

In various embodiments, the user might act to indicate to her nodeand/or other computer that it should act to read one or more valuesand/or other data from such a storage element. For instance, the usermight press a button associated with her node and/or other computer,provide an indication via a graphical user interface (GUI), voice,and/or other interface provided by her node and/or other computer.Alternately or additionally, in various embodiments the user's nodeand/or other computer might act to automatically read one or more valuesand/or other data from such a storage element. For example, the nodeand/or other computer might periodically attempt to communicate with astorage element.

A reader, interface, and/or the like employed by the user's node and/orother computer could be implemented in a number of ways. For example,such a reader, interface, and/or the like might be integrated into thenode and/or other computer, provided as an accessory, and/or the like.Such an accessory might, for example, be provided as a detachablefunctional cover and/or the like, and/or might communicate with the nodeand/or other computer via electrical conductors, wires, and/or the like,via fiber optics and/or the like, and/or via wireless communicationsand/or the like. Such wireless communications might, for instance,employ WiFi, UWB, Bluetooth, Infrared Data Association (IrDA), and/orthe like.

In various embodiments, such a functional cover could include a storeand/or the like accessible by a node and/or other computer to which thecover was installed, with the store and/or the like holding softwareemployable by the node and/or other computer in performing various ofthe operations described herein. It is noted that, in variousembodiments, as an alterative to and/or in addition to provision via afunctional cover, software employable by the node and/or other computerin performing various of the operations described herein might beprovided to the node and/or other computer in a number of ways.

For example, such software could be loaded onto the node and/or othercomputer via Bluetooth, UWB, WiFi, IrDA, Universal Mobile TelephoneService (UMTS), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Short MessageService (SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), memory card, and/orthe like. Such software might, for instance, be provided at time ofmanufacture of the node and/or other computer, after activation of thenode and/or other computer, and/or the like.

Having read one or more values and/or other data from a storage elementthe node and/or other computer could, in various embodiments, act todetermine whether the storage element serves as an identification tagfor session initiation. Such functionality could be implemented in anumber of ways. For example, one or more flags, values, bits,indicators, and/or the like among one or more values and/or other datafrom the storage element could serve to let the user's node and/or othercomputer know that the storage element served as an identification tag.

It is noted that a storage element of the sort described above could, invarious embodiments, provide advantages to a user including, forinstance, there being no need for the user to manually key-in and/orotherwise input her user identification information and/or the likeprior to, for example, sending a message. Instead, according to variousembodiments of the present invention, the user could, for example,touch, wipe, and/or the like the node and/or other computer with thestorage element (and/or vice versa), and the node and/or other computercould recognize the storage element as being of a particular type (e.g.,one that serves as an identification tag for session initiation).

Perhaps after having determined the storage element to be serving as anidentification tag (step 103), the user's node and/or other computercould, in various embodiments, act to initiate session establishment.Initiating session establishment could, in various embodiments, involvepreparing and dispatching a first message to one or more servers and/orthe like providing session services.

Accordingly the user's node and/or other computer could, for instance,dispatch a SMS message and/or the like initiating session establishmentto one or more servers and/or the like (step 105). Included in themessage could, for instance, be a provided value (e.g., a random numberand/or the like), some or all of the values and/or other data read fromthe storage element, and/or the like. It is noted that, in variousembodiments, included with the message could be dedicated securityinformation provided by the node and/or other computer.

As indicated above, in various embodiments, the above-described softwareemployable by the node and/or other computer could recognize a storageelement as serving as an identification tag for session initiation. Invarious embodiments, after so recognizing a storage element to beserving as an identification tag for session initiation, the node and/orother computer could act to automatically dispatch a message initiatingsession establishment. It is noted that, in various embodiments, therandom number and/or the like could be created using some or all of thevalues and/or other data read from the storage element as a seed.

With respect to FIG. 2 it is noted that, upon receiving the messageinitiating session establishment (step 201), the one or more serversand/or the like could, in various embodiments, act to determine if itwas allowable for a session to be established (step 203). Accordinglythe one or more servers and/or the like could, for instance, act todetermine if the user's node and/or other computer was a registered nodeand/or other computer, and/or act to determine if the user was aregistered user. It is further noted that, in various embodiments, oneor more servers and/or the like could, alternately or additionally, actto check the validity of dedicated security information received alongwith the message.

Such functionality could be implemented in a number of ways. The one ormore servers and/or the like could, for instance, act to determine ifthe user's node and/or other computer was a registered node and/or othercomputer by comparing an identifier associated with the node and/orother computer with a listing corresponding to registered nodes and/orother computers (e.g., a listing of identifiers associated withregistered nodes and/or other computers). Such a listing might, forinstance, be held in an accessible store and/or the like.

The one or more servers and/or the like might, for example, employ aphone number of the node and/or other computer as the identifier. Where,for instance, the message for initiating session establishment was sentvia SMS and/or the like, the one or more servers and/or the like could,for instance, learn of the phone number and/or the like by way of datapassed in association with SMS dispatch.

The one or more servers and/or the like could, for instance, act todetermine if the user was a registered user by comparing some or all ofthe values and/or other data read from the storage element that wereincluded in the dispatched message with a listing corresponding toregistered users. Such a listing might, for instance, be held in anaccessible store and/or the like. Accordingly, for example, in variousembodiments the storage element of a user's node and/or other computercould be loaded with one or more particular data elements, and thosedata elements could be included in the listing and included in thedispatched message, thereby facilitating such comparison.

In various embodiments, in the case the one or more servers and/or thelike determined that requirements had been met, the one or more serversand/or the like could proceed with session establishment. Therequirements could, in various embodiments, be considered to be met, forexample, in the case where the one or more servers and/or the likedetermined that the node and/or other computer was a registered nodeand/or other computer and that the user was a registered user. Asanother example, the requirements could, in various embodiments, beconsidered to be met in the case where the one or more servers and/orthe like determined that that the node and/or other computer was aregistered node and/or other computer, that the user was a registereduser, and that the dedicated security information was valid.

The one or more servers and/or the like might, in various embodiments,provide an error message and/or the like to the user's node and/or othercomputer in the case where one or more requirements had not been met(step 205). Such an error message and/or the like might, for instance,be provided via SMS, MMS, GPRS, and/or the like.

According to various embodiments, in proceeding with sessionestablishment the one or more servers and/or the like could act togenerate a service token (step 207). The service token might, forexample, comprise one or more random and/or non-random values,additional information, and/or the like. For instance, the service tokenmight include a random 128-bit or 256-bit value.

In various embodiments, perhaps by action of the one or more serversand/or the like, an expiration date, validity period, and/or the likemight be associated with the token. For instance, it might beestablished that the token expire after a specified date, after aspecified period of time has elapsed, after a certain number ofoperations have been performed by the user's node and/or other computer(e.g., after a certain number of messages have been sent in conjunctionwith a session employing the token), and/or the like.

According to various embodiments, various factors might be taken intoaccount in associating expiration dates, validity periods, and/or thelike with a token. For example, the one or more identifiers, values,data, and/or the like associated with the node and/or other computer,the user, and/or the like might be taken into account. For instance, itmight be specified in an accessible store and/or the like and/or thelike that one or more specified users, groups of users, nodes and/orother computers, groups of nodes and/or other computers, and/or the likereceive tokes with specified expiration dates, validity periods, and/orthe like.

Accordingly, for example, it might be specified in such a store and/orthe like that for all nodes and/or other computers, and/or usersassociated with a particular company and/or the like, tokens that expireafter 8.5 hours be provided. The store and/or the like might, forinstance, include a specification of the identifiers, values, data,and/or the like associated with nodes and/or other computers, and/orusers associated with the company. Having generated the token, the oneor more severs and/or the like might, in various embodiments, act toassociate the generated token with a provided value (e.g., a randomnumber) included with the message sent by the user's node and/or othercomputer initiating session establishment.

With further respect to FIG. 1 it is noted that, in various embodiments,the node and/or other computer could dispatch to the one or more serversand/or the like a token request message (step 107). The token requestmessage could, for instance, be dispatched via GPRS and/or the like.Included with the token request message could, in various embodiments,be the provided value (e.g., the random number) that was included withthe message initiating session establishment.

It is noted that, in various embodiments, tailored interfaces forspecific companies and/or the like may be provided whereby, forinstance, appropriate users associated with a company (e.g., companyleaders, managers, and/or the like) can adjust various services,parameters, and/or the like based on the needs of the company and/or thelike. It is further noted that, in various embodiments, the one or moreservers and/or the like may provide schedules and/or the like. Suchschedules might, for example, allow company leaders, managers, and/orthe like to track employee actions, performance, and/or the like withrespect to actions of the one or more servers and/or the like.

It is also noted that, in various embodiments, the tailored interfacesmay be protected against possible misuse by, for instance, incorporatingvarious security and/or authentication processes to be performed beforeallowing access. The authentication may be implemented in a number ofways such as, for example, requesting a secure Personal IdentificationNumber (PIN) to be inputted before allowing access.

With further respect to FIG. 2 it is noted that, upon receiving a tokenrequest message (step 209), the one or more servers and/or the likecould act to determine if a generated token had been associated with theprovided value (e.g., the random number) included with the token requestmessage. In the case where such a token existed, the one or more serversand/or the like could, in various embodiments, act to dispatch the tokento the node and/or other computer (step 211). Such dispatch could, forinstance, be via GPRS and/or the like.

It is noted that although various of the foregoing operations have, forpurposes of illustration by way of ex ample, been described as beingperformed in a certain order, alternate orders are possible. Forexample, although as described above the one or more servers and/or thelike perform generation of a token for association with a particularprovided value (e.g., random number) before receiving a token requestmessage including that provided value (e.g., random number), in variousembodiments the one or more nodes and/or other computers could act toperform such token generation after receiving the token request message.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, the tokenrequest message could serve in initiation of an Internet Protocol (IP)connection, pipe, and/or the like. The token request message could, invarious embodiments, be interpreted by the one or more servers and/orthe like as an IP session request. Receiving the message, the one ormore servers and/or the like could, perhaps in a manner analogous tothat discussed above, act to determine if a valid token for the sessionwas available. In various embodiments the one or more servers and/or thelike could, upon receiving the IP session request, determine whether therandom value included in the request corresponded with a value stored inconnection with a valid token. Where a valid token was found to beavailable, the request could be accepted and the token could, perhaps ina manner analogous to that discussed above, be provided to the nodeand/or other computer.

Accordingly, in various embodiments, the node and/or other computer,and/or the user of the node and/or other computer, are identified by wayof the random value generated by the user's node and/or other computer,which is firstly dispatched to the one or more servers and/or the likein a form of the first message via a cellular messaging service, suchas, for example, via SMS or MMS messaging service. In variousembodiments, thereafter, when dispatching the token request message/IPsession request, the same random value can be included in the request,which can be used by the one or more servers and/or the like to identifythe source of the request, such as for example, a virtual IP address of255.255.255.126 as the same node and/or other computer that dispatchedthe first message having phone number of +1226345621. In variousembodiments, after the one or more servers and/or the like have made theassociation between the dynamic IP address and the phone number of thenode and/or other computer, the IP session can be established betweenthe one or more servers and/or the like and the node and/or othercomputer based on the information stored in connection with the one ormore servers and/or the like.

Token Use

According to various embodiments of the present invention, the usersnode and/or other computer could employ a received token of the sortdiscussed above in carrying on a session with the one or more serversand/or the like. With respect to FIG. 3 it is noted that, for example,according to various embodiments the user's node and/or other computercould include the token with messages sent to the one or more serversand/or the like as part of the session (step 301). Such messages could,for example, be dispatched via GPRS and/or the like.

Upon receipt of such a message, the one or more servers and/or the likecould, in various embodiments, act to determine if the token was valid(step 303). Determination of whether or not the token was a valid could,for instance, involve determining if the token was a token that had beengenerated by the one or more servers and/or the like, and/or determiningthat the token had not expired.

Determination that the token had been generated by the one or moreservers and/or the like might, for example, involve the one or moreservers and/or the like consulting an accessible store and/or the likeholding tokens that had been generated and/or data correspondingthereto. Determination of whether or not the token had expired could,for example, involve consultation of a store and/or the like associatinggenerated tokens with associated expiration dates, validity periods,and/or the like. As another example, such determination could include,in embodiments where the token included data corresponding to expirationdates, validity periods, and/or the like, consultation of the token.

In the case where it was found that the token was not valid, one or moreoperations could be performed. For example, in various embodiments theone or more servers and/or the like might, perhaps via SMS, MMS, GPRS,and/or the like, provide an error message, alarm, and/or the like to theuser's node and/or other computer, to a company and/or the likeassociated with the user and/or the user's node and/or other computer,and/or the like (step 305). The error message, alarm, and/or the likemight, for instance, indicate that the token was no longer valid, invitethe node and/or other computer and/or its user to take action to seek anew token, and/or the like.

Responsive to such a message alarm, and/or the like the user's nodeand/or other computer might, for instance, act to perform one or more ofthe operations discussed above (e.g., dispatching a token requestmessage). In various embodiments, the node and/or other computer might,perhaps via a GUI or other interface, request that its user place thestorage element in communication with an appropriate reader, interface,and/or the like, and/or the like.

In various embodiments, in the case where it was found that the tokenwas valid the message with which the token was included could, perhapsby the one or more servers and/or the like, be considered to beassociated with a session corresponding to the token (step 307). Invarious embodiments the one or more servers and/or the like might, forinstance, act to record in an accessible store and/or the like datacorresponding to such a received message, data extracted from such areceived message, and/or the like.

It is further noted that, in various embodiments, the one or moreservers and/or the like might dispatch to the user's node and/or othercomputer a message indicating that the message dispatched by the user'snode and/or other computer had been successfully received. Such amessage indicating successful receipt might, for example, containinformation chosen by a system administrator, a company associated withthe user and/or the node and/or other computer, and/or the like. Invarious embodiments, among the chosen information might be auser-specific message.

A session of the sort described herein, where tokens are included withmessages dispatched from the user's node and/or other computer to theone or more servers and/or the like, could be employed for a number ofpurposes. For example, in a number of professions a user acts to visit anumber of stations, the user perhaps needing to visit the stations inaccordance with one or more specified visiting sequences, needing tovisit the stations at particular times, needing to visit the stationswithin particular time windows, needing to perform certain tasks atstations, and/or the like.

For example, a user working as a watchperson might need to periodicallyvisit locations in a building, on grounds, and/or the like. As anotherexample, a user working as an inspector might need to visit certainstorage tanks, containers, water meters, electric meters, gas meters,various municipal meters, and/or the like, with one or morecorresponding values (e.g., one or more storage tank pressures, wateruse readings, and/or the like according to gauges, meters, and/or thelike) perhaps needing to be ascertained.

As further examples, workers such as delivery workers or medical workersmay need to visit various locations and/or perform various tasks atthose locations. According to various embodiments of the presentinvention, a user could employ her node and/or other computer inconjunction with a session of the sort described herein to send to theone or more servers and/or the like data corresponding to theperformance of her duties as worker.

For example, according to various embodiments of the present invention,location-based storage elements might be placed at the locations such auser was to visit. Such location-based storage elements might, forinstance, be implemented as RFID tags, iButtons, barcodes, magneticstripes, smartcards, flash memories, memories accessible via Bluetooth,memories accessible via WiFi, memories accessible via UWB and/or thelike. Upon visiting a location, the user's node and/or other computercould, in various embodiments, act to read one or more values and/orother data from one or more location-based storage elements at thatlocation.

It is noted that, in various embodiments, among the one or more valuesand/or other data held by a located-based storage element could be oneor more serial numbers and/or other unique values that, dispatched tothe one or more servers and/or the like, could be taken as evidence thatthe user had visited the location and/or the like corresponding to thelocation-based storage element. It is noted that, in variousembodiments, perhaps in a manner analogous to that discussed above, theuser might act to place the location-based storage element incommunication with an appropriate reader, interface, and/or the like.

In various embodiments, having read one or more values and/or other datafrom a location-based storage element, the node and/or other computercould act to send to the one or more servers and/or the like one or moremessages corresponding to the reading of the location-based storageelement, each such message including the token. Such dispatch could, forexample, be performed in a manner analogous to that discussed above(e.g., via SMS and/or using the existing GPRS session, wherein the tokencan be used as identifying the user and/or the currentoperations/services). Included with the message could, for example, beone or more of the values and/or other data read from the location-basedstorage element.

Alternately or additionally, included with the message could be, forexample, data supplied by the user, data received from a data source ata location and/or the like (e.g., a gauge, meter, and/or the likeproviding its output via Bluetooth, UWB, WiFi, electrical conductors,and/or the like), a timestamp, and/or the like. The data for such atimestamp might, for example, be provided by a location-based storageelement at the location.

The user might so supply data, for instance, via a GUI or otherinterface provided by the node and/or other computer. For example, theuser might supply one or more comments regarding her visiting of thelocation. It is noted that, in various embodiments, a data source at thelocation and/or the like might provide its output to the location-basedstorage element. Accordingly, for example, a location-based storageelement for a storage tank with a pressure gauge, meter, and/or the likemight store a reading periodically received from the gauge, meter,and/or the like, and the gauge reading could be accessible by the user'snode and/or other computer via the storage element.

Receiving the message the one or more servers could, in variousembodiments, perform one or more of the operations discussed above suchas confirming the validity of the token associated with the message,considering the message to be associated with a session corresponding tothe token, and/or recording in an accessible store and/or the like datacorresponding to the message, data extracted from the message, and/orthe like.

In various embodiments, the one or more servers and/or the like could,act to send a confirmation message to the user, the message perhapsindicating that it had been recognized that the user had visited thelocation. Such a message and/or a subsequent message might, in variousembodiments, provide information relating to a subsequent task to beperformed by the user (e.g., a location to be visited). Such a messagemight, for instance, be dispatched via GPRS and/or the like. Informationregarding the subsequent task might, for instance, be drawn frominformation provided by, for example, a system administrator, a companyand/or the like associated with the user and/or her node and/or othercomputer, and/or the like.

In various embodiments, the one or more servers and/or the like mightact to provide various messages and/or information to a user at alocation. As an example, when a user employs her node and/or othercomputer to read a storage element (e.g., an RFID tag) of an electricmeter, the one or more servers and/or like might dispatch, uponreceiving the storage element information of the electric meter from thenode and/or other computer, the last value of the electric meteringdevice that they had received, so the that the user at the locationcould easily see what has happened to the metering device since thatlast reading event. In various embodiments, if the reading was the same,it might be thought to be likely that the electric metering device wasbroken, and that it should be replaced with a new one.

It is further noted that, in various embodiments, the one or moreservers and/or like might also provide some additional information to auser at a location. The information could include information such as,for example, instructions relating to the operations necessary at thelocation and/or information relating to actions to be done after leavingthe location (e.g., route information in a form of, for instance, a mapto a next control point, location, and/or the like).

It is noted that, in various embodiments, the one or more servers and/orthe like might act to provide various messages, alarms, and/or the likein response to various conditions. Such messages, alarms, and/or thelike might, for instance, be sent to the user, a company and/or the likeassociated with the user, and might, for instance, be dispatched viaGPRS and/or the like.

For example, such a message, alarm, and/or the like might be sent in thecase where one or more activities and/or the like were performed by theuser, were one or more activities and/or the like were not performed bythe user, and/or the like. The activities and/or the like for which suchmessages, alarms, and/or the like would be dispatched might, forexample, be specified by a system administrator, a company and/or thelike associated with the user and/or her node and/or other computer,and/or the like.

For example, it might be specified that the company and/or the like benotified in the case where the one or more servers and/or the likestopped receiving indications that the user has been visiting assignedstations. As another example, it might be specified that the companyand/or the like be notified in the case that the one or more serversand/or the like receiving and/or failing to receive messages from thenode and/or other computer was indicative to the one or more serversand/or the like that the user had deviated from a predefined visitingschedule and/or the like.

Such a schedule and/or the like might, for instance, be accessible bythe one or more servers and/or the like, and/or be provided by thecompany and/or the like. In various embodiments such a schedule and/orthe like might, in accordance with that which is discussed above,specify one or more times, time windows, and/or the like. Responsive tosuch a notification the company and/or the like might, in variousembodiments, contact police and/or other authorities, take action to seethat the user was not in danger, and/or the like.

Such action might, for example, include performing a check via securitymonitoring, attempting to contact the user via her node and/or othercomputer, and/or the like. Such contact via the user's node and/or othercomputer might, for instance, involve dispatch of a text, visual, and/orother messages sent via SMS, MMS, GPRS, and/or the like, and/or the useof voice communications. Such voice communications might, for examplemake use of Global System For Mobile Communications (GSM) voicecapability of the node and/or other computer, UMTS voice capability ofthe node and/or other computer, and/or the like.

As indicated above, in various embodiments, among the one or more valuesand/or other data held by a location-based storage element could be oneor more serial numbers and/or other unique values that, dispatched tothe one or more servers and/or the like, could be taken as evidence thatthe user had visited the location and/or the like corresponding to thelocation-based storage element. It is noted that, in variousembodiments, such one or more serial numbers and/or other unique valuescould change periodically.

Accordingly, for example, the one or more serial numbers and/or otherunique values for a particular location-based storage element couldchange in accordance with a schedule. The one or more servers and/or thelike, and/or one or more companies and/or the like associated with auser could, in various embodiments, be aware of this schedule and/orcould perform one or more operations to ensure that the one or moreserial numbers and/or other unique values indicated as being read from alocation-based storage element were correct according to the schedule.

In various embodiments, in the case where the one or more serial numbersand/or other unique values indicated as being read from thelocation-based storage element were not in compliance with the schedule(e.g., they were out of date), action might be taken to, for instance,investigate whether the user was attempting to feign having visited alocation.

It is noted that, in various embodiments, the distance traveled by auser during, for instance, her shift (e.g., as a watchperson, inspector,and/or the like), a session, and/or the like could be determined. Suchfunctionality could be implemented in a number of ways. For example, invarious embodiments, location-based storage elements placed at locationsthe user was to visit could be employed as location anchors.

In various embodiments, by taking into account the geographicallocations of location-based storage elements visited by the user, thedistance traveled by the user could be computed. Such computation could,in various embodiments, be performed by the one or more servers and/orthe like. The geographical locations of storage elements could be knownin a number of ways. For example, an accessible store and/or the likecould correlate data held by location-based storage elements (e.g.,serial numbers and/or other unique values) with locations. Accordingly,for instance, the one or more servers and/or the like receiving, perhapsin a manner analogous to that discussed above, such a serial numberand/or other unique value could consult such a store and/or the like todetermine a corresponding geographical location.

As another example, in various embodiments a location-based storageelement could hold data regarding its location, and such data could, forexample, be read from the storage element by the user's node and/orother computer and passed, perhaps in a manner analogous to thatdiscussed above, to the one or more servers and/or the like.

The functionality by which a location-based storage element could cometo hold data about its geographical location could be implemented in anumber of ways. For example, in various embodiments the storage elementcould, perhaps in a manner analogous to that discussed above withrespect to a storage element receiving readings from a gauge, meter,and/or the like, receive an indication of its location from anapparatus. For instance, such an apparatus might provide geographicallocation information to the storage element via Bluetooth, UWB, and/orthe like. The functionality by which such an apparatus could determinethe geographical location information to be provided to the storageelement could be implemented in a number of ways. For example, suchdetermination could involve the use of Global Positioning System (GPS),cellular-based techniques (e.g., Enhanced Observed Time Difference(E-OTD)), and/or the like.

Exemplary Aspects

Shown in FIG. 4 is an exemplary configuration employable in variousaspects of the present invention. Included in FIG. 4 are storage element401 (e.g., an RFID tag), node and/or other computer 403, SMS servicecenter 405, one or more servers and/or the like 407, and GPRS network409.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, one or morevalues and/or other data could, perhaps in a manner analogous to thatdiscussed above, be received from storage element 401 by node and/orother computer 403 via communication 411 (e.g., via an RFIDcommunication). In accordance with that discussed above, node and/orother computer 403 could, in various embodiments, act to dispatch amessage initiating session establishment 413. Message 413 could, forexample, be received at SMS service center 405 and passed on to one ormore servers and/or the like 407.

Also in accordance with that discussed above, node and/or other computer403 could, in various embodiments, act to dispatch via GPRS network 409to one or more servers and/or the like 407 token request message 415. Inaccordance with that discussed above, token request message 415 could,in various embodiments, be interpreted by one or more servers and/or thelike 407 as an IP session request.

In various embodiments, after receiving the message, one or more serversand/or the like 407 could act in accordance with that discussed above toprovide an appropriate token to the node and/or other computer viamessage 417 dispatched via GPRS network 409. In accordance with thatdiscussed above, an IP session with node and/or other computer 403could, for example, be established by one or more servers and/or thelike 407.

As indicated above, according to various embodiments of the presentinvention the one or more servers and/or the like might place data intoand/or read data from one or more accessible stores and/or the like.Shown in FIG. 5 is an exemplary table showing various data which, invarious embodiments, might be held in such stores and/or the like.

Shown in the exemplary table of FIG. 5 for each of users A, B, and C ispersonal tag ID data 501 (e.g., corresponding to values and/or otherdata of the sort discussed above read from storage elements provided tousers), phone number data 503, unique ID data 505 (e.g., token values),and location data 507 (e.g., corresponding to visited locations).

Hardware and Software

Various operations and/or the like described herein may be executed byand/or with the help of computers. Further, for example, devicesdescribed herein may be and/or may incorporate computers. The phrases“computer”, “general purpose computer”, and the like, as used herein,refer but are not limited to a processor card smart card, a mediadevice, a personal computer, an engineering workstation, a PC, aMacintosh, a PDA, a portable computer, a computerized watch, a wired orwireless terminal, phone, node, and/or the like, a server, a networkaccess point, a network multicast point, a set-top box, a personal videorecorder (PVR, a game console, or the like, perhaps running an operatingsystem such as OS X, Linux, Darwin, Windows CE, Windows XP, WindowsServer 2003, Palm OS, Symbian OS, or the like, perhaps employing theSeries 60 Platform and/or Series 90 Platform, and perhaps having supportfor Java and/or .Net.

The phrases “general purpose computer”, “computer”, and the like alsorefer, but are not limited to, one or more processors operativelyconnected to one or more memory or storage units, wherein the memory orstorage may contain data, algorithms, and/or program code, and theprocessor or processors may execute the program code and/or manipulatethe program code, data, and/or algorithms. Accordingly, exemplarycomputer 6000 as shown in FIG. 6 includes system bus 6050 whichoperatively connects two processors 6051 and 6052, random access memory6053, read-only memory 6055, input output (I/O) interfaces 6057 and6058, storage interface 6059, and display interface 6061. Storageinterface 6059 in turn connects to mass storage 6063. Each of I/Ointerfaces 6057 and 6058 may be an Ethernet, IEEE 1394, IEEE 1394b, IEEE802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11i, IEEE 802.11e, IEEE802.11n, IEEE 802.15a, IEEE 802.16a, IEEE 802.16d, IEEE 802.16e, IEEE802.16x, IEEE 802.20, IEEE 802.15.3, ZigBee, Bluetooth, terrestrialdigital video broadcast (DVB-T), satellite digital video broadcast(DVB-S), digital audio broadcast (DAB), general packet radio service(GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS), DVB-H, IrDA(Infrared Data Association), and/or other interface known in the art.

Mass storage 6063 may be a hard drive, optical drive, or the like.Processors 6051 and 6052 may each be a commonly known processor such asan IBM or Motorola PowerPC, an AMD Athlon, an AMD Opteron, an Intel ARM,an Intel XScale, a Transmeta Crusoe, a Transmeta Efficeon, an IntelXenon, an Intel Itanium, or an Intel Pentium. Computer 6000 as shown inthis example also includes a touch screen 6001 and a keyboard 6002. Invarious embodiments, a mouse, keypad, and/or interface might alternatelyor additionally be employed. Computer 6000 may additionally include orbe attached to card readers, DVD drives, floppy disk drives, and/or thelike whereby media containing program code (e.g., for performing variousoperations and/or the like described herein) may be inserted for thepurpose of loading the code onto the computer.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, acomputer may run one or more software modules designed to perform one ormore of the above-described operations. Such modules might, for example,be programmed using languages such as Java, Objective C, C, C#, C++,Perl, and/or Xen according to methods known in the art. Correspondingprogram code might be placed on media such as, for example, DVD, CD-ROM,and/or floppy disk. It is noted that any described division ofoperations among particular software modules is for purposes ofillustration, and that alternate divisions of operation may be employed.Accordingly, any operations discussed as being performed by one softwaremodule might instead be performed by a plurality of software modules.Similarly, any operations discussed as being performed by a plurality ofmodules might instead be performed by a single module. It is noted thatoperations disclosed as being performed by a particular computer mightinstead be performed by a plurality of computers. It is further notedthat, in various embodiments, peer-to-peer and/or grid computingtechniques may be employed.

Shown in FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a terminal, an exemplary computeremployable in various embodiments of the present invention. The terminalof FIG. 7 has been discussed in the foregoing. In the following,corresponding reference signs have been applied to corresponding parts.Terminal 7000 of FIG. 7 may be used in any/all of the embodimentsdescribed herein. The terminal 7000 comprises a processing unit CPU 703,a multi-carrier signal terminal part 705 and a user interface (701,702). The multi-carrier signal terminal part 705 and the user interface(701, 702) are coupled with the processing unit CPU 703. One or moredirect memory access (DMA) channels may exist between multi-carriersignal terminal part 705 and memory 704. The user interface (701, 702)comprises a display and a keyboard to enable a user to use the terminal7000. In addition, the user interface (701, 702) comprises a microphoneand a speaker for receiving and producing audio signals. The userinterface (701, 702) may also comprise voice recognition (not shown).

The processing unit CPU 703 comprises a microprocessor (not shown),memory 704 and possibly software. The software can be stored in thememory 704. The microprocessor controls, on the basis of the software,the operation of the terminal 7000, such as the receiving of the datastream, the tolerance of the impulse burst noise in the data reception,displaying output in the user interface and the reading of inputsreceived from the user interface. The operations are described above.The hardware contains circuitry for detecting the signal, circuitry fordemodulation, circuitry for detecting the impulse, circuitry forblanking those samples of the symbol where significant amount of impulsenoise is present, circuitry for calculating estimates, and circuitry forperforming the corrections of the corrupted data.

Still referring to FIG. 7, alternatively, middleware or softwareimplementation can be applied. The terminal 7000 can be a hand-helddevice which the user can comfortably carry. Advantageously, theterminal 7000 can be a cellular mobile phone which comprises themulti-carrier signal terminal part 705 for receiving the multicasttransmission stream. Therefore, the terminal 7000 may possibly interactwith the service providers.

Ramifications and Scope

Although the description above contains many specifics, these are merelyprovided to illustrate the invention and should not be construed aslimitations of the invention's scope. Thus it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be madein the system and processes of the present invention without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the invention.

1. A method for session establishment, comprising: receiving a firstmessage including a first value and a second value; deriving from thefirst message a node identifier; determining if the second valuecorresponds to a registered user; determining if the node identifiercorresponds to a registered node; creating a token; and dispatching thetoken in response to a second message, wherein the second messageincludes the first value.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the firstvalue is a random number.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondvalue was retrieved by a user node from a storage element.
 4. The methodof claim 3, wherein the storage element is a radio frequencyidentification tag.
 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the storageelement is a smartcard.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the firstvalue is calculated based on the second value.
 7. The method of claim 1,further comprising receiving one or more messages including the token.8. The method of claim 7, wherein the messages including the token areconsidered to be associated with a session.
 9. The method of claim 7,wherein one or more of the messages including the token correspond tolocations visited by a user.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein one ormore of the messages including the token include data read from one ormore storage elements at one or more of the locations.
 11. The method ofclaim 9, wherein one or more of the messages including the token areconsidered to be indicative that one or more of the locations have beenvisited.
 12. The method of claim 7, wherein one or more of the messagesincluding the token correspond to tasks performed by a user.
 13. Themethod of claim 12, wherein one or more of the messages including thetoken include data corresponding to one or more of the tasks.
 14. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the token comprises an 128-bit value.
 15. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the token comprises an 256-bit value.
 16. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the token comprises a random value.
 17. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the node identifier is a phone number. 18.The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is received through acellular network interface.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein thefirst message is a short message service message.
 20. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the second message is received through an internetprotocol network interface.
 21. The method of claim 20, wherein thesecond message is an internet protocol session request.
 22. A method forsession establishment, comprising: dispatching a first message includinga first value and a second value, wherein a node identifier is derivablefrom the first message; dispatching a second message, wherein the secondmessage includes said first value; and receiving a token in response tothe second message in the case where the second value is determined tocorrespond to a registered user and the node identifier is determined tocorrespond to a registered node.
 23. The method of claim 22, wherein thefirst value is a random number.
 24. The method of claim 22, furthercomprising retrieving the second value from a storage element.
 25. Themethod of claim 24, wherein the storage element is a radio frequencyidentification tag.
 26. The method of claim 24, wherein the storageelement is a smartcard.
 27. The method of claim 22, wherein the firstvalue is calculated based on the second value.
 28. The method of claim22, further comprising dispatching one or more messages including thetoken.
 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the messages including thetoken are considered to be associated with a session.
 30. The method ofclaim 28, wherein one or more of the messages including the tokencorrespond to locations visited by a user.
 31. The method of claim 30,wherein one or more of the messages including the token include dataread from one or more storage elements at one or more of the locations.32. The method of claim 30, wherein one or more of the messagesincluding the token are considered to be indicative that one or more ofthe locations have been visited.
 33. The method of claim 28, wherein oneor more of the messages including the token correspond to tasksperformed by a user.
 34. The method of claim 33, wherein one or more ofthe messages including the token include data corresponding to one ormore of the tasks.
 35. The method of claim 22, wherein the tokencomprises an 128-bit value.
 36. The method of claim 22, wherein thetoken comprises an 256-bit value.
 37. The method of claim 22, whereinthe token comprises a random value.
 38. The method of claim 22, whereinthe node identifier is a phone number.
 39. The method of claim 22,wherein the first message is dispatched over a cellular communicationsnetwork.
 40. The method of claim 39, wherein the first message is ashort message service message.
 41. The method of claim 22, wherein thesecond message is dispatched over an internet protocol network.
 42. Themethod of claim 41, wherein the second message is an internet protocolsession request.
 43. A system for session establishment, comprising: amemory having program code stored therein; and a processor disposed incommunication with the memory for carrying out instructions inaccordance with the stored program code; wherein the program code, whenexecuted by the processor, causes the processor to perform: receiving afirst message including a first value and a second value; deriving fromthe first message a node identifier; determining if the second valuecorresponds to a registered user; determining if the node identifiercorresponds to a registered node; creating a token; and dispatching thetoken in response to a second message, wherein the second messageincludes the first value.
 44. The system of claim 43, wherein the firstvalue is a random number.
 45. The system of claim 43, wherein the secondvalue was retrieved by a user node from a storage element.
 46. Thesystem of claim 45, wherein the storage element is a radio frequencyidentification tag.
 47. The system of claim 45, wherein the storageelement is a smartcard.
 48. The system of claim 43, wherein the firstvalue is calculated based on the second value.
 49. The system of claim43, wherein the processor further performs receiving one or moremessages including the token.
 50. The system of claim 49, wherein themessages including the token are considered to be associated with asession.
 51. The system of claim 49, wherein one or more of the messagesincluding the token correspond to locations visited by a user.
 52. Thesystem of claim 51, wherein one or more of the messages including thetoken include data read from one or more storage elements at one or moreof the locations.
 53. The system of claim 51, wherein one or more of themessages including the token are considered to be indicative that one ormore of the locations have been visited.
 54. The system of claim 49,wherein one or more of the messages including the token correspond totasks performed by a user.
 55. The system of claim 54, wherein one ormore of the messages including the token include data corresponding toone or more of the tasks.
 56. The system of claim 43, wherein the tokencomprises an 128-bit value.
 57. The system of claim 43, wherein thetoken comprises an 256-bit value.
 58. The system of claim 43, whereinthe token comprises a random value.
 59. The system of claim 43, whereinthe node identifier is a phone number.
 60. The system of claim 43,wherein the first message is received through a cellular networkinterface.
 61. The system of claim 60, wherein the first message is ashort message service message.
 62. The system of claim 43, wherein thesecond message is received through an internet protocol networkinterface.
 63. The system of claim 62, wherein the second message is aninternet protocol session request.
 64. A system for sessionestablishment, comprising: a memory having program code stored therein;and a processor disposed in communication with the memory for carryingout instructions in accordance with the stored program code; wherein theprogram code, when executed by the processor, causes the processor toperform: dispatching a first message including a first value and asecond value, wherein a node identifier is derivable from the firstmessage; dispatching a second message, wherein the second messageincludes said first value; and receiving a token in response to thesecond message in the case where the second value is determined tocorrespond to a registered user and the node identifier is determined tocorrespond to a registered node.
 65. The system of claim 64, wherein thefirst value is a random number.
 66. The system of claim 64, wherein theprocessor further performs retrieving the second value from a storageelement.
 67. The system of claim 66, wherein the storage element is aradio frequency identification tag.
 68. The system of claim 66, whereinthe storage element is a smartcard.
 69. The system of claim 64, whereinthe first value is calculated based on the second value.
 70. The systemof claim 64, wherein the processor further performs dispatching one ormore messages including the token.
 71. The system of claim 70, whereinthe messages including the token are considered to be associated with asession.
 72. The system of claim 70, wherein one or more of the messagesincluding the token correspond to locations visited by a user.
 73. Thesystem of claim 72, wherein one or more of the messages including thetoken include data read from one or more storage elements at one or moreof the locations.
 74. The system of claim 72, wherein one or more of themessages including the token are considered to be indicative that one ormore of the locations have been visited.
 75. The system of claim 70,wherein one or more of the messages including the token correspond totasks performed by a user.
 76. The system of claim 75, wherein one ormore of the messages including the token include data corresponding toone or more of the tasks.
 77. The system of claim 64, wherein the tokencomprises an 128-bit value.
 78. The system of claim 64, wherein thetoken comprises an 256-bit value.
 79. The system of claim 64, whereinthe token comprises a random value.
 80. The system of claim 64, whereinthe node identifier is a phone number.
 81. The system of claim 64,wherein the first message is dispatched over a cellular communicationsnetwork.
 82. The system of claim 81, wherein the first message is ashort message service message.
 83. The system of claim 64, wherein thesecond message is dispatched over an internet protocol network.
 84. Thesystem of claim 83, wherein the second message is an internet protocolsession request.
 85. An article of manufacture comprising a computerreadable medium containing program code that when executed causes awireless terminal to perform: reading information from a storageelement; determining the storage element to serve as an identificationtag for session initiation; generating a random value; dispatching, to apredetermined destination, a short message service message including therandom value and some or all of the information; and dispatching, to thepredetermined location, a token request message including the randomvalue.
 86. The article of manufacture of claim 85, wherein thepredetermined destination is defined in the information.
 87. An articleof manufacture comprising a computer readable medium containing programcode that when executed causes a server to perform: receiving a firstmessage including a first value and a second value, wherein the firstmessage is a short message service message; deriving from the firstmessage a node identifier; determining if the second value correspondsto a registered user; determining if the node identifier corresponds toa registered node; creating a token; and dispatching the token inresponse to a second message, wherein the second message includes thefirst value.